Orthodontic appliance



` Mrch 6, 1934 E. H. ANGLE 1,949,444

ORTHODONTIC \APPLIANCE Filed June 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l I March 6, y E. H ANGLE ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed June 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 23 2z 25 52g El@ 1J. FJG i F1616- FIGff/ 2"/ 25 .70 yn 30 z3' FIG':18 FIG 19. FICT 20. FIC?. 21 FIC?. Z2.

Patented Mar. 6, 1934` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE dena, Calif.

I Application June 14, 1932, Serial No. 617,168

7 Claims.

The invention is applicable to the art of correcting the position of malposed teeth of the dental arch, and particularly relates to that class of" devices in which an arch-bar is adjustably supported at its opposite terminals by anchorages clamped to suitably disposed posterior teeth or molars, and is especially directed to the means by which said arch-bar is connected, intermediate of its ends, with selected teeth of the dental arch.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a tooth-engaging band With an arch-bar attaching bracket having means arranged to facilitate thev manipulation of the arch-bar engag- 1. ing ligatures whereby attachments and adjustments may be readily and quickly elected.

The invention includes the methods of applying the ligatures to the attaching means of the arch-bar bracket whereby the Yforce control of go the tooth movement may be best effected under specific conditions.

Specifically stated, the form of the invention as hereinafter described comprises a tooth-band provided with a bracket having a slot, opening outwardly and disposed in a horizontal position to receive an arch-bar snugly tted therein, and having a slot disposed normal thereto in aY vertical direction in its inner surface which isV at'- tached tothe tooth-band, said slot being intersected by relatively parallel transverse slots disposed in. said inner surface and extending into the body'of said bracket to a depth greater than saidy vertical slot.

, The' invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of the upper dental arch, showing a convenient embodiment of the invention attached to selected teeth of said dental arch; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the tooth attachments comprising a tooth-band extended in a plane and ank arch-bar attaching bracket, constructed according to the invention,

attached thereto; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the tooth attachment shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of a section of a ligature attachment wire having a knot at one end; Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged perspective view,

50. as seen from a forward position, of the bracket per se, which isY shown in Figs. 2 and 3 attached to the tooth-band; Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged perspective view, as seen from a rearward position,'of the bracket shown in Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a 56 transverse. sectional view of said tooth attachments, bracket and band, taken on the linel 7--7 in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 3, but showing the bracket in elevation for convenience of illustration, and indicating a simple method of applying the ligature Wire shown in Fig. 4; Figs. 9, 10, 11, l2v and 113Y illustrate five stages of a simple method of applying the ligature wire and threading it through the diierent apertures to engage the arch-bar in the slot in the bracket; Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17 illustrate four stages of another` method of attaching the arch-bar to the bracket by threading the ligature wire through the apertures in said bracket; Figs. 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 illustrate another and more complicated method of attaching the arch-bar to the bracket by passing the ligature Wire through the apertures in relatively crossed relation; Fig. 2BY is a side elevationall View of the bracket attachedA to the band and illustratingy further possibilities in theY threading of the ligature wire through the apertures; and Fig. 24-is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig.l 23.

TheA tooth regulatingv appliance to which this invention is especially applicable is indicated in a general Way in Fig` 1, and includes, together with associated parts, an arch-bar 1 bent to substantially conform to the dental arch and having its extremities provided with tangs 2 and extended through anchor sheaths 3, with which said tangs may be engaged to retain the arch-bar in adjusted position, and which are carried by the anchorbands 5,-of well known construction.

As shown in Fig. 1, the anchor bands are attached to the rst molar teeth 6, which servel as anchor ab'utments upon opposite sides of the dental arch, said bands being provided With an eye '7 at one en'd, and at the other end', a threaded stem 8extende'd through said eye and arranged to be adjusted therein by the nut 9 to clamp'the band 5 upon said abutment teeth 6, as is obvious.

The gist of the invention resides in the means of securing the arch-bar 1 to the malposed teeth l0 in the dental arch, and comprises the toothband 11 and its arch-bar attaching bracket 13, shown in' Figs. 2'and 3 in its initial form extended in a plane, and arranged to be cut to ther length desired as indicated by the transverse dot-anddash lines or the oblique dash lines thereon shown, and formed into the tooth embracing ring as shownl by the circular dot-and-dash lines as indicated in Fig; 2.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the bracket 13 may be formed of a substantially rectangular piece ofmetal curvedly chamfered forwardly and having its rear Wall 14 affording a plane surface substantially coextensive with the dimensions of the bracket, which not only affords a tenacious solder joint with the tooth-band l1 but also provides reinforcement for said tooth-band.

The front or outer wall 15 of the bracket 13 is provided with a deeply cut or depressed slot 16 extending transversely through the bodyV of said bracket and in parallel relation to the length of the tooth-band when extended in a plane, Said bracket 13 is also provided with a slot 19, which, as shown, is substantially square in cross section but which may be of any desired conguration, extended through the rear surface of said bracket from top to bottom and in relatively transverse relation to the slot 16, so as to form an aperture adjacent to the rear wall of said bracket when engaged with the tooth-band 11. Said slot 19 is intersected by relatively spaced parallel slots 2O and 21 extending into the bracket body 13 to a greater extent than the floor 22 of the slot 19 and disposed upon opposite sides of the arch-bar slot 16.

As shown in Fig. 8, the arch-bar is retained in the slet 16 by the ligature attachment wire 23, illustrated in Fig. i in its initial lineal condition, and threaded through the ligature receiving apertures formed by the slots 21, and 19 with the knotted head engaging' the side wall of said bracket 13, the loop 26 embracing the arch-bar 1, and the free end extended through the aperture formed by the slot 19 where it is cut off at 27.

As shown in Fig. 9, the ligature Wire 23 is threaded through the aperture 21 until the headfcrrning knot 25 engages the side Wall of the bracket. Said ligature wire is then bent back- Ward across the arch-bar, as illustrated in Fig. 19, to form the loop 26 and is then threaded through the aperture 20, as shown in Fig. 11, and drawn taut to retain the arch-bar l in its slot 16, after which it is bent upwardly, as shown in Fig. 12, and then threaded downwardly through the aperture 19, as shown in Fig. 13, and the end cut off slightly below the bottom of the bracket, and by the tortuous contour of the path through which said ligature wire is threaded, the archbar is rigidly retained in the arch-bar slot 16 without the necessity of locking the ends of the ligature together by twisting, as heretofore.

1n cases where it is desirable to obtain a certain movement of the malposed tooth or teeth, the ligature wire 23 is threaded through the aperture 21, as shown in Fig. 14, and bent upwardly and then threaded through the aperture 20 to form the loop 30 parallel with the side of the bracket 13, as shown in Fig. 15, and said ligature is then bent upwardly, as shown in Fig. 16, and threaded 'downwardly through the aperture 19, as shown in Fig. 1'?, and may be cut oir slightly below the end of the bracket 13. This obviously may be varied by reversing and threading so that the loop 30 will be parallel with the right-hand side of the bracket instead of at the left-hand side as illustrated.

A more complicated method of attaching the arch-bar to the bracket comprises threading an unhe'aded ligature wire 32 through the aperture 20, as shown in Fig. 18, then drawing the opposite ends to form the relatively crossed ligature, as shown in Fig. 19, the two free ends being then threaded in opposite directions through the aperture 21, as shown in Fig. 20, then said ligature is drawn out, as shown in Fig. 21, after which the ends of the ligature wire 32V are threaded upwardly together through the aperture 19, as

shown in Fig. 22, to be cut off as desired. While this group of illustrations, 18 to 22 inclusive, show the ligature wire as being first threaded through the aperture 20, it is obvious that it may be reversed and threaded through the aperture 21 so that in terminating the threading of the two ends of the ligature they will extend downwardly instead of upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 22.

Other variations in the method of threading the'ligature through the several apertures may be effected, as illustrated in Fig. 23, wherein, it may be noted, the ligature may be threaded double through each of the recesses 20 and 21, as shown in Fig. 23, as Well as double through the aperture 19, as shown in Fig. 24.

The invention is advantageous in that by the employment cf a bracket thus constructed, various methods of effecting desired stresses may be employed by varying the system of threading the arch-bar retaining ligature through the apertures provided therefor, and, owing to the fact that it is unnecessary to this form of bracket to effect a. tying or twisting together of the ligature ends, its removal, replacement and adjustment are greatly facilitated, so that more frequent adjustments may be made in a minimum length of time Whereby a lessening of discomfort and inconvenience to the patient is effected.

It is not desired to limit the invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising a toothband bracket having an arch-bar receiving slot in its outer face, and having relatively spaced slots in the inner face, extending parallel with the slot in the cuter face and intersected by a relatively transverse slot.

2. An orthodontic appliance comprising a toothband bracket having relatively transverse slots respectively disposed in its outer and inner faces and having relatively spaced slots in its inner face disposed in parallel relation to the slot in its outer face.

3. An orthodontic appliance comprising a toothband bracket having relatively transverse slots respectively disposed in its outer and inner faces and having relatively spaced slots in its inner face disposed in parallel relation to the slot in its outer face and intersecting the slot in said inner-face but extending into the body of the bracket t6 a greater depth.

4. An orthodontic appliance comprising a toothband bracket arranged to be attached to a toothband, and having an arch-bar receiving slot in its outer face arranged to receive an arch-bar, and

band bracket having an arch-bar receiving slot in its outer face arranged to receive an arch-bar, a relatively transverse slot in its inner face, and spaced parallel slots intersecting said transverse slot and extending forward to a depth beyond the floor of both of the before mentioned slots and ligature Wire extended therethrough and retaining an arch-bar in said slot.

7. An orthodontic appliance comprising a toothband bracket having an arch-bar receiving slot, an aperture extending through said bracket relatively transverse to said slot and relatively spaced apertures also extending through said bracket in substantially parallel relation to said slot.

ANNA HOPKINS ANGLE, Executrzm of the Estate of Edward H. Angle, De-

ceased. 

